Education For The New Era: A Track-Based Approach within an Existing Program

The magnitude of the upcoming social, economic, and technological changes is expected to be unprecedentedly massive. As the term “the fourth Industrial Revolution” implies, the tectonic changes will thoroughly reshape today’s industry and subsequently require industrial design programs at academic institutions around the world to review and revamp the existing curricula and offerings. As a response, a track-based approach with a focus on empirical learning and real-world impact was planned within an existing industrial design program at a university to introduce elements of emerging areas across materials, sustainability, and technology. Key findings from its implementation suggest the approach is applicable to established industrial design programs. Details of the approach and recent outputs are discussed with evidence.